Call: 01392 678082

Established 2004

Ruddlesden geotechnical

Ruddlesden geotechnical provides ground investigation, geotechnical consultancy and contamination assessment services.

Based in Exeter, but covering the whole of the UK, albeit primarily concentrated in the South West, Ruddlesden geotechnical was formed in 2004.

Ruddlesden geotechnical works on behalf of a wide client base, including local, regional and national housing developers, housing associations, commercial developers, building contractors, structural and civil engineers, architects, building consultants, quantity surveyors, local authorities and private individuals.

Development projects range from single dwellings and extensions to large housing estates, multi-storey flats, offices, industrial units, roads, slopes, schools, hospitals and basements.

The services and projects listed on this web-site provide an indication of those undertaken by Ruddlesden geotechnical, but others are carried out. If your requirement is not readily identifiable on this web-site, please contact us as we may still be able to help you.

  • AGS
  • Constructionline
  • CSCS
  • SMAS
  • ECFC trust

Latest news

Recent projects

  • Latest news

    18 Jun 2026

    School Reunion and Connections

    Last weekend, Simon Ruddlesden went back to school, to celebrate the retirement of an exceptional geology teacher, who, together with colleagues, has built a department that consistently ranks among the best in the country.  The results speak for themselves: over 50% of the year group now take GCSE Geology; 85% of A-Level students achieved A or A* last year.There are incredible numbers and inspiring teaching. However, despite decades of producing highly capable geology students, very few of them have ended up in the ground investigation / geotechnical / geo-environmental industry. A missed opportunity, perhaps?As discussed at the recent AGS annual conference (and elsewhere), we are hearing that there are fewer well-trained graduates entering our industry, and we are seeing fewer universities offering geoscience degrees and fewer schools offering geology at GCSE and A-Level. However, perhaps the biggest challenge of all is awareness. Ask a school-age student what a career in geology looks like, and you’ll likely hear “mining…oil and gas…quarrying”. Our industry is often not even on the radar. If students don’t know we exist, why would they ever choose this path? Why would they pick geology at university if they don’t realise it could unlock a rewarding career in our field?So, Simon will be going back to school again, not to study, but to share what we do, why it matters, and how rewarding it can be. The ground investigation/ geotechnical/ geo-environmental industry won’t be for everyone, but there could be an untapped pool of future engineering geologists and geo-environmental engineers out there; we just need to reach them earlier. Let’s make sure the next generation know we exist!If you know of a school that would like to hear what Simon has to say about working in the industry, please get in touch. 

    School Reunion and Connections
    School Reunion and Connections

  • Recent projects

    Mineral Resource Assessments, Dorset

    Mineral Resource Assessments have been undertaken for three sites in close proximity to each other for the same developer on the outskirts of village near Poole, in Dorset, where minerals resource assessments are commonly required due to the quarrying of sand and gravel deposits. Ruddlesden geotechnical carried out site-specific desk-based assessments of the superficial and bedrock geology and potential mineral resources, including the study of geological maps and memoirs, historical data, nearby borehole records, site investigation reports and British Geological Survey Mineral Resource Information for Development Plans. The mineral resource assessments, which were undertaken at the pre-application planning stage, as part of the viability assessment, identified that deposits beneath two of the sites were unlikely to be quarried, whereas further work was required to assess the risks at the third site. This information was used by the developer to help prioritise the developments.

  • Recent projects

    Plate Bearing Testing for Wind Turbine, Devon

    Ruddlesden geotechnical have recently undertaken plate bearing testing at a number of farms in Cornwall to validate geotechnical parameters, provided as part of a previous geotechnical investigation, used in the design of the wind turbine. Ruddlesden geotechnical liaise with the client and construction team to undertake the testing as soon as excavation is complete, to ensure the ground to be tested is relatively undisturbed, representative and as not to delay the construction phase. Careful planning can allow other aspects of wind turbine construction, including crane pads and track ways, to be validated, to save time and ultimately construction costs.

    16-wind-turbine-2-reduced-1